Before I start this post, allow me to introduce you to today’s co-reviewer:
This is my young friend James. I first met him when I was working with his mother. He was a shy three-year-old whose father had disavowed him. He was mistrustful of most adults, but for whatever reason, he took a liking to me, and “adopted” me as his best friend. I’ve become somewhat of a mentor to him, and we have lots of fun going places like Chuck E. Cheese, the park, the zoo, and the movies. He’s ten now, and a big Lego fan, so naturally we saw THE LEGO MOVIE together. When I asked him if he wanted to see THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE, he got super-excited. I must admit I was too, being a huge Batmaniac myself.
So today we went to check it out. James told me his school friends said it was “cool” and “wicked funny”, and you can’t get any better recommendations than that from a bunch of ten-year-olds! We arrived at the theater early, purchased our tickets, and proceeded to spend lots of my money on video games like “Terminator Salvation” and “Fast & Furious”, as well as numerous claw machine games, which the boy is really good at! Then, after buying our popcorn and sodas (and a pack of Oreo Minis for James’ sweet tooth) at the snack counter, we settled in to watch the show.
THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE is a visual treat, a film that both kids and adults will enjoy. The Lego Universe is different from Batman’s DC Universe, and takes a lot of liberties with the characters. Batman (voiced once again by Will Arnett) is an egomaniac who has difficulty letting anyone into his life, due to the loss of his parents. He can’t even commit to calling The Joker (Zach Galifianakis) his “greatest enemy”, which hurts the Clown Prince of Crime’s feelings. So much so that Joker decides to turn himself in to the authorities, along with the rest of Gotham’s Rogue’s Gallery. New Police Commissioner Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson) declares there’s no longer a need for a masked vigilante now that all the super-villains are locked in Arkham Asylum and wants Batman to work as part of a team, which really sticks in the Caped Crusader’s cowl.
But The Dark Knight thinks Joker’s up to no good, and decides to steal Superman’s Phantom Zone Projector to banish the baddie forever. Then he discovers he’s unwittingly adopted a young orphan named Dick Grayson (Michael Cera, who’s pitch perfect). He orders faithful butler Alfred (Ralph Fiennes) to send the child back, but instead Alfred brings the boy into the Batcave. So Batman trains Dick (now clad as Robin) to bust into the Man of Steel’s Fortress of Solitude to grab the Projector while he keeps Supes occupied.
The Dynamic Duo accomplish their goal (with a funny cameo by the entire JLA!) and send Joker to the Phantom Zone, only to be locked up for their trouble by an angry Barbara. But the still-on-the-loose Harley Quinn manages to steal the Projector and free Joker, who in turn unleashes the World’s Greatest Villains from the Phantom Zone (including Voldemort, Sauron, Dracula, King Kong, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the shark from JAWS, The Wicked Witch of the West, and assorted Gremlins and Daleks!) to destroy Gotham City once and for all. Can Batman learn to get along with everyone in time to stop the carnage??
I’ve got to say both James and I were enthralled by the action unfolding onscreen. I know I do a lot of complaining about CGI on this blog, but the graphics were just great. James’ friends were right about this being “wicked funny”, but I think I laughed more than him, mainly due to all the in-jokes and references to Batman movies, comics, and TV shows past (anyone remember Bat-Shark Repellent? Zan and Jana?). All the major Bat-villains are well represented here – my personal favorite was the Vincent Price-inspired Egghead! And the “Who’s the (Bat) Man” song is without a doubt the greatest Batman tune of all time! Big name stars like Mariah Carey, Hector Elizondo, Seth Green, Jonah Hill, Eddie Izzard, Brent Musberger, Conan O’Brien (an inspired choice for Riddler), Channing Tatum (Superman), and Billy DeeWilliams lend their voice talents to the cast, and video game composer Lorne Balfe delivers a jaunty score.
In THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE, the Caped Crusader learns that it’s okay to let people into your life, and that families can be made of more than blood ties. Just like me and James.
cracked rear viewer 